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[Brahmachicken240]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens

 

[Southerncks]

View attachment 1778701
What have you been using on your coop floor for the last 2 years?
Are you talking about the actual coop, or the run?
I don't think any chicken floor would actually be sanitary, but some litter methods are easier to maintain than others, and everyone has their own preference. I like to use pine shavings on the floor and a poop tray under the roosts to catch most of the droppings. I fill that with Sweet PDZ and just scoop daily like cat litter.

Lots of people use sand in the coop, which is fine if there's no chance of it getting wet, but you will have to sift the poop out a lot more often than with shavings, because it won't decompose. I only change my shavings once a year... the coop litter goes in the run, and the old run litter goes in the compost bin.

 

[Southerncks]

Thank you for the reply! I have been using pine shavings but with my health issues the poop got built up. I was able to shovel most of that out. Yes it does get wet with rain. Should I get the fine pine shavings? I have only bought the coarse shavings but was thinking the fine might be better. I do have a tray in the top that I clean at least weekly so where the eggs are laid it stays fairly clean.

 

[feathermaid]

Thank you for the reply! I have been using pine shavings but with my health issues the poop got built up. I was able to shovel most of that out. Yes it does get wet with rain. Should I get the fine pine shavings? I have only bought the coarse shavings but was thinking the fine might be better. I do have a tray in the top that I clean at least weekly so where the eggs are laid it stays fairly clean.

It sounds like your chickens lay eggs in a top area? Is that correct?
Do your chickens sleep in the same area they lay eggs?
(Sorry, I'm confused by your descriptions)
Do you have a photo of what your coop and interior looks like?
Why does it get wet with rain?

I would think any area that gets wet would do best with a thick layer of chunky wood chips... this is what I use in my outdoor run to prevent mud.
Chickens do need a waterproof area that stays dry... where shavings would work well. I have found that if my pine shavings get wet, they are slippery and gross and will break down much quicker than the wood chips outside. So I would not recommend fine shavings if they would get wet with rain. I've also found that gutters are extremely important to help keep the space under my coop and covered run dry, otherwise all the rainfall would pool and flood into those areas.

With your health issues, do you have anyone who could help you at least once or twice a year to change out coop bedding? Then you could try a deep litter method where you keep adding fresh shavings every couple/few weeks to help the poop decompose... you would want to eventually build up to 6-12 inches deep. It does work very well on a dirt floor in a covered area, it just needs to be turned and mixed up regularly so it doesn't get stinky. When you change it out, you can store it in a compost pile for a few more months until it turns into beautiful rich garden soil, I'm sure someone would love to have it!

I would highly recommend a tray under the roosts to collect the majority of droppings, it makes it much easier to keep the shavings on the floor cleaner.
This is what my setup looks like:

My birds spend the majority of the day outside so the coop interior stays relatively clean. You can also see the bigger wood chips that receive direct rainfall.

The poop tray is easily scooped at my waist/chest height. Some people just use a bare board (no sand or Sweet PDZ) and just scrape the poop off into a bucket.

Both nest boxes are lower than the roost height, so my birds never choose to sleep there. Usually, chickens prefer to sleep in the highest available area, and lay eggs in a dark cozy place. My eggs and nest boxes stay super clean... I might have to hand pick an accidental dropping once or twice a month.

So to summarize:
Smaller bedding material (sand or fine shavings) needs to stay dry as possible.
Coarser and heavier material (wood chips) can handle more moisture or rain.

Other people have different methods that work for them. This is the system I've discovered to work best for me and I find it very easy to maintain.

sorry for my ridiculously long post!

 

[drumstick diva]

what a beautiful set up Flappy I wouldn't expect anything less from you.

 

[feathermaid]

Oh thank you diva! Very kind words... but way to put the pressure on me!
It's not my dream coop, but it works well in the very limited space I have right now.

 

[drumstick diva]

no pressure intended - just keep doing what you keep doing - you do fine at everything

 

[Southerncks]

It sounds like your chickens lay eggs in a top area? Is that correct?
Do your chickens sleep in the same area they lay eggs?
(Sorry, I'm confused by your descriptions)
Do you have a photo of what your coop and interior looks like?
Why does it get wet with rain?

I would think any area that gets wet would do best with a thick layer of chunky wood chips... this is what I use in my outdoor run to prevent mud.
Chickens do need a waterproof area that stays dry... where shavings would work well. I have found that if my pine shavings get wet, they are slippery and gross and will break down much quicker than the wood chips outside. So I would not recommend fine shavings if they would get wet with rain. I've also found that gutters are extremely important to help keep the space under my coop and covered run dry, otherwise all the rainfall would pool and flood into those areas.

With your health issues, do you have anyone who could help you at least once or twice a year to change out coop bedding? Then you could try a deep litter method where you keep adding fresh shavings every couple/few weeks to help the poop decompose... you would want to eventually build up to 6-12 inches deep. It does work very well on a dirt floor in a covered area, it just needs to be turned and mixed up regularly so it doesn't get stinky. When you change it out, you can store it in a compost pile for a few more months until it turns into beautiful rich garden soil, I'm sure someone would love to have it!

I would highly recommend a tray under the roosts to collect the majority of droppings, it makes it much easier to keep the shavings on the floor cleaner.
This is what my setup looks like:
View attachment 1779884
My birds spend the majority of the day outside so the coop interior stays relatively clean. You can also see the bigger wood chips that receive direct rainfall.

View attachment 1779876
The poop tray is easily scooped at my waist/chest height. Some people just use a bare board (no sand or Sweet PDZ) and just scrape the poop off into a bucket.

View attachment 1779874
Both nest boxes are lower than the roost height, so my birds never choose to sleep there. Usually, chickens prefer to sleep in the highest available area, and lay eggs in a dark cozy place. My eggs and nest boxes stay super clean... I might have to hand pick an accidental dropping once or twice a month.

So to summarize:
Smaller bedding material (sand or fine shavings) needs to stay dry as possible.
Coarser and heavier material (wood chips) can handle more moisture or rain.

Other people have different methods that work for them. This is the system I've discovered to work best for me and I find it very easy to maintain.

sorry for my ridiculously long post!

Thank you very much for your time and information. My coop is a small manufactured one I purchased at Tractor Supply. The box indicated it would house 8-10 chickens. I have 8 in there but they really do need more space, I think.

I am so impressed with the cleanliness of your coop and run. Either you spend much time cleaning or your chicks are well trained. My chickens poop everywhere. .

About a month ago my chickens started eating their eggs so I had to try something new and It worked! I placed paint pans in their nest boxes (I lined them with thin rugs) and placed a heavy board across the back so they could not get to the eggs easily. Sorry I tried to upload a photo.

Anyway the run is only about a 4x6 and the coop is on the top half with 3 nest boxes. I think what my main problem is the rain. One option I have is to place tarps around the entire area on rainy days. I will try that.

I have already placed a lot of shavings in there but in a few months will try the wood chips. Thank you again!!

 

[feathermaid]

About a month ago my chickens started eating their eggs so I had to try something new and It worked! I placed paint pans in their nest boxes (I lined them with thin rugs) and placed a heavy board across the back so they could not get to the eggs easily... Anyway the run is only about a 4x6 and the coop is on the top half with 3 nest boxes. I think what my main problem is the rain. One option I have is to place tarps around the entire area on rainy days. I will try that.

Nice idea for the rollaway nest boxes!

Do you keep all 8 birds inside the 4x6 pen all day?
I used to have a coop very similar to yours...

I had 3 chickens but never kept them penned all day, which of course wreaked havoc on my backyard, which is why they now have their own "private" yard on the entire side of my house.

So I understand why your run gets wet, I had the same problem. The roof runoff lands on the ground right next to the run, it pools and doesn't have anywhere to drain except inside the run. Because of my particular roof structure and nest box access I couldn't figure out how to make a gutter to direct the water away.
My temporary fix was to raise the floor: A plywood sheet on top of a few bricks inside the run allowed the water to pool underneath the plywood while keeping the top "floor" dry and I put shavings on top of the plywood for softness. This was only temporary... I decided it was just better to build a bigger coop with rainwater management in mind.

Another possible solution for you could be to dig a trench where the runoff lands and install a french drain to lead away from the coop.

Prefab coops like yours (and mine) are very deceptive in their descriptions... they actually label them for 8-10 BANTAMS that free range all day. Most people see "8-10 chickens" and think this is normal or humane. It's not. It's closer to cramped factory conditions. This may be why you have some egg eating and poop issues.




It might be more manageable for you to downsize your flock if you're not able to build a bigger coop and run.
These articles will give you some more information:
How Much Room Do Chickens Need
Chicken Coop Ventilation - Go Out There And Cut More Holes In Your Coop!
Keeping Chickens Without Free Ranging

 

[Southerncks]

I wish my photos would load, halfway through it stops. Yes, my coop is similar to your first one but taller. I’m sure I won’t be building a larger coop but possibly extending the run out of the end so they will not be cramped. I do let them free range at least once weekly but don’t like cleaning poop off of my walkway.

They are very pretty, sweet chicks and follow me everywhere especially when they know they are getting treats. Their favorite is fruit.



And to answer your earlier question, I can do more coop care since my knee has totally healed from my replacement surgery. I will try to load the photos again. Thanks much!
If the photo doesn’t load and you care to see, I have a You Tube channel and have posted my coop and ckns. It’s “Chris Dove”, my face is the profile pic.